'Volcano' Erupts At Eddas

COLOGNE, Germany – Volcano, the directorial debut of Icelandic helmer Rúnar Rúnarsson, has swept the local version of the Oscars, the Edda awards, taking five honors, including best film.

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Rúnarsson also won best director and screenplay, while Volcano leads Theodór Júlíusson and Margrét Helga Jóhannsdóttir took the best actor and best actress accolades. 

The drama, which premiered at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes last year, is a careful portrait of a 67-year-old custodian and volcano survivor who has few friends and lives estranged from his family. Critically praised, Volcano has won awards at several festivals, including Chicago, Denver, Montreal, San Paulo and Reykjavik.

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Another multiple winner at this year’s Eddas was the dramedy Either Way from director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, which focuses on two road workers spending their summer painting lines on the winding, mostly empty, roads in the Icelandic hinterlands.

Either Way scooped three Eddas, including best cinematography (Árni Filippusson), best costume design (Margrét Einarsdóttir) and best supporting actor (Thorsteinn Bachmann).

The 3D animated feature Legends of Valhalla – Thor from director Óskar Jónasson, won Eddas for best editing (Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir) and best set design (Gunnar Karlsson).